Magazine spring gun or pistol.



H. B. SPERRY. MAGAZINE SPRING GUN 0R PISTOL. APPLICATION FILEDOCT-14,1914.

Patented May 16, 1916.

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H. B. SPERRY. MAGAZINE SPRING GUN 07B PISTOL. APPLICATION FILED OCT. I4.191-4.

1 1 83, 1 33 Patented May 16, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT IB, SPERRY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MAGAZINE SPRING GUN on PISTOL.

To all. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HnRBERT B. SPERRY, a citizen of the United States,,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Magazine Spring Guns orPistols, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a magazine spring gun or pistol, and has forits primary object to provide certain improvements in the constructionand mode of operation of a magazine spring gun or pistol, by which thesame is enabled to operate more effectively in pro pelling or shootingtherefrom various small objects, such as shot and small marbles orbullets of suitable materials and contruction.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an automatic springgun or pistol of the described character, which shall contain certainimprovements hereinafter set forth in the appearance of the gun, andalso structural improvements to enable the same to be manufactured moreaccurately and economically than some of the devices heretofore made.

It is a further object to provide certain improvements in a magazinespring gun, by

which the shot, bullets, or other ob ects to' be propelled from the gunshall be introduced into the barrel of the same near the .end remotefrom the breech or adjacent the muzzle of the barrel, thus obviatingthe-necessity of the projectile traversing for any considerable distancethe length of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 14, 1914. Serial N 0. 866,585.

provide an improved form of projectile magazine, and means for feedingthe projectiles therefrom into the barrel or propelling chamber of thedevice.

Further objects of the invention will -ap pear from the followingdescription of the preferred form of the invention which is also'shownin the drawings, and pointed out more particularly in the appendedclaims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a pistol embodyingthe invention in its preferred form. Fig. '2 is a top plan view of thedevice shown in Fig. 1. Fig. ,3 is a view on the interior of the casingof the deviceof Figs. 1 and 2, showing onehalf the casing removed andparts on the interior broken away or in section, to disclose the detailsof construction thereof. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view throughthe barrel of the device, somewhat enlarged. Fig. 5 is a sectional viewthrough the barrel on the line 55 of Fig. 4, looking in the directionindicated by the arrows. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of thespring actuated plunger within the barrel. Fig. 7 is a perspective viewof a specially constructed sheet metal member for forming the bottom ofthe magazine. Fig. 8 is an enlarged broken detail view of a portionthereof. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a sheet metal casing or housingfor the spring controlling the return movement of the trigger. Fig. 10is a. broken side elevation View ofamodification of the device showing aspecial form of spring controlled magazine for feeding the projectilesto the barrel, differing in this respect from the gravity feed magazineshown in Fig. 3. Fig. 11 is a top plan view of my spring gun or pistol,provided with the modified form of spring controlled magazine of Fig.10. Fig. 12 is a detail view of the motor spring, and Fig. 13

is a. detail perspective view-showing a broken portion of the under sideof the assembled casing surrounding the slot for the trigger mechanism.

In the construction of the outer casing of my improved spring gun orpistol, I utilize two plates of the generalform shown in F igs; 1 and 2,and designated by the reference char acters 10 and 11. These plates maybe formed of any desired material, but'for purposes of economy andlightness, it is preferred that they be formed of sheet meta-1,0f thegeneral contour shown in Fig. 1, having a relatively wide barrelportion, as indicated at 10*, and a stock or grip portion 10.

In order to provide an interior chamber, the outer peripheral edges ofthe plates 10, which are formed right and left, are flanged as indicatedat 10 and 11, and these flanges cooperate, when the halves 10 and 11 of.thecasing are brought together, in the manner shownin Fig. 2, to forman interior closure or chamber for supporting not only the barrel butthe principal operative parts of the device. The parts of the casing 10and 11 may be conveniently secured together by a plurality of rivets asindicated by the reference characters 13 to 17 inclusive passing throughregistering openings in the walls of the casing and up-set or riveted asillustrated most clearly in Fig. 2. Openings in the peripheral walls ofthe casing may be formed by cuts or serrations on the median or jo1ningline to accommodate the protruding forward or muzzle end of the barrel,which is indicated generally by the reference character 18. In the samemanner, suitable openings in the peripheral wall are made to accommodatethe trigger, which is indicated generally by the reference character 20,and

a suitable opening indicated by the reference character 21 (see Fig. 2),for the magazine.

The barrel 18 (Figs. 3, 1 and 10), is of tubular form, and preferably,although not necessarily, formed of sheet metal. Since it is notnecessary that the barrel shall be fluid or gas-tight, it may be formedas indicated in the sectional viewof Fig. 4:, of a single flat sheet ofmetal rolled into tubular form,

with the longitudinal free edges brought into contiguous or adjacentrelation, (Fig. 5) but without beingn'ecessarily secured together, thestrength of the material holding the barrel in its proper tubular shape.The

barrel is provided with a number of slots and perforations forattachment and'other purposes, and the sheet metal constructionillustrated in the drawings is very .advan tageous, ,on account of therapidity and breech end the barrel 18 is supported on.

the interior of the casing bythe body of the rivet 13', which passesthrough the transverse I openings indicated at 18, which-are formedthrough the walls of the barrel in register with each other (Figs. 3 and4). i

- The motor spring (see Figs. 3. and 12) is preferably formed of asingle length of round spring wire formed with one or more circularcoils or helices, as indicated at 19,

the spring itself being generally indicated by the reference character19 throughout the drawings. Within the enlarged helix 19 I prefer toform a second and smaller coil 19 in. the body of the spring adjacentthe end leaving the coil to form the long tangential branch of thespring. The large coil 19" which terminates at its opposite extremityinthe tail-piece 19, is for the purpose of givr ing the spring thenecessary elasticity and resiliency, but'the small, coil 19? is fortheso purpose of aflixing the spring in relation to the casing, which isaccomplished by passin through the coil 19 the shank or body 0 the rivet15. To enable the coil or helix 19 tobe made larger than the normal sizeof the rivet 15, I preferably insert a tubular bushing 15 over the rivet15, the same being of a suitable length to act as a spacing memberbetween theplates 10 and 11 of the casing.

The long branch of the spring 19 is provided intermediate its outerextremity and the helix 19*, with an off-set portion, as indicated at 19',.and the extremity thereof beyond the oif-set 19, is designed to passthrough the opposite longitudinal slots 18 and 18 of the barrel. (Fig.4c).

The motor spring 19 is adapted tobe actuated by the trigger member 20,which is prefably formed of sheet metal (Figs. 1 and 3).

The trigger 20 is preferably provided with a thickened finger portion,as indicated at 20 and a hooked branch portion 20", which extends towardthe muzzle of the casing and has an upwardly'and rearwardly extendinghooked portion designed to pass'through a longitudinal opening formed inthe'flanges of the casings 10 and Hon the under side of the barrel. InFig. 13 is shown the longitudinal opening or slot for the trigger 20,

which 'isforrned by cutting away the ma terial of the flanges 10 and 11for a con- 1 siderable distance on the under side of the casing. in themanner indicated by the refer- 7 ence characters-10 -and 11 Fig. 13. The

material of'the sheet metal trigger 20 may be cut away in the bodyportion thereof to lighten it,as indicated at 20, and the body portionthereof is extended to pass through the slot on-the, under side of .thepistol, and

into the stock or grip portion thereof, where it is provided with anoff-set, as indicated at 20 adapted normally to engage the off-set orsinus'19 of the motor spring 19. The hooked projection 20 on the trigger20 is provided at its extremity with a reduced portion adapted to entera longitudinal slot along the lower edge of a metallic housing or casinglocatedwithin the casing and underneath the muzzle end of the barrel 18(see Fig. 9). This spring casing referred f to is designated generallyby the reference character 25, and is preferably formed. of

sheet metal having a closed body portion ex cept for the longitudinalslot on the under side thereof, already referred to, adapted toaccommodate the portion 20 of the trigger. This slot is indicated inFig. 9 by the reference character 25, and the coil spring within thecasing 'by the reference characits bushing as indicated in Figs. 1 and3, so

that one end of the casing 25 will bear against this rivet, thusdispensing with the necessity of using any special means to secure thespring casing 25 in position. The

' effect of the coil spring 26 on the hooked projection 20 of thetrigger 20 is to hold the same in the longitudinal position shown inFig. 3, with its extremity on the interior of the casing within the gripor butt of the pistol upwardly against the off-set or sinus 19 of thepower spring. This tendency of the trigger 20 to rise at its extremitywithin the butt or grip of the casing is further accentuated by the factthat the operator in moving'the trigger will press his finger upon thethickened portion 20 and the leverage exerted thereon will also tend tocause the opposite extremity of the trigger to rise, bringing theoif-set or ledge 20 into forcible contact with the spring 19. Ifsufficient pressure is exerted upon the portion 20 of the trigger, itwill be apparent that the motor spring 19 may be brought to the positionit occupies as illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, which will placethe same under considerable tension until the angular rear portion ofthe trigger, as indicated at 20 is brought into forcible contact withthe bushing which surrounds the body of the pin or rivet 14. If therearward movement of the trigger be continued, it will be apparent thatthe contact of the angular portion 2O with the pin or rivet 14 willdepress the rear end of the same, and thus cause the notch or off-set 20to be disengaged from the sinus 19 of the spring, which will release themotor spring, and cause it to forcibly traverse the slotted portion 1818 of the barrel. It will be further apparent that as often as theoperator desires he may press upon the grip portion 20 of the trigger20, and bring the motor spring to the position indicated in dottedlines'in Fig.

3, whereupon it will be released to exert the power stored therein uponwhatever objects may be in the barrel for discharge there= from. In thepreferred form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 a magazine is formed inthe upper portion of the casing parallel with the barrel, by a magazinepartition, which is indicated generally by the reference character 30,and is shown in detail in Fig. 7. The partition 30 is formed of a stripof sheet metal having its end formed with a reinforced off-set, asindicated at 30*, adapted to engage with the breech end of the barrel18, and at its opposite extremity it is provided with a housing openinginwardly, indicated generallyby the reference character 30", and havinga perforation in the bottom thereof, as indicated at 30 adapted toregister with an opening 18 on the upper side of the barrel locatedrelatively near the muzzle end thereof, preferably about two-thirds ofthe distance measuring from the forward limit of the slots 18 and 18 tothe muzzle of the barrel. This location ofthe projectile feed to thebarrel adjacent the muzzle end thereof is an important feature of theinvention, as it eliminates friction that would result between thebarrel and the projectile to be fired when a considerable portion of thebarrel must be traversed by the projectile. In the form of the inventionshown in Fig. 3, the magazine which is formed between the upper side ofthe casing and the magazine partition 30 is of the gravity feed type, inthat no special means is provided for positively feeding the balls orprojectiles to be magazine is preferably closed by the sliding springmember 42 which protrudes a suflicient distance above the upper surfaceof the casing to enable the operator to conveniently grasp it. Aconvenient method of constructing the closure member 42 is to make it ofsheet steel of a convenient width for the interior of thecasing, inorder that it may completely close the magazine opening 21, and it maybe given the general form of the capital letter U as illustrated in Fig.3, with one branch thereof bearing against the upper side of themagazine partition 30 to hold the downwardly extending branch 30 thereofin position between the end of" the barrel and the flange of the casing.(Fig. 3.)

A plunger indicated by the reference character 50, (Figs. 4 to 6,inclusive), preferably constructed of very light sheet metal, isprovided within the barrel, and maybe of the general channel form asshown in Fig. 6, with short downwardly extending projections 50 at theextreme ends of the flanges for the purpose of supporting the same inrelation to the bottom of the barrel as it slides along the same. Theplunger 50 is preferably connected with the motor spring 19 by passingthe upper extremity of the spring through a circular opening 50 in thebreech end of the plunger, the forward end thereof having a tongueportion bent downwardly over the ends of the flanged projections 50 toprovide a suitable contact portion for engaging the projectiles to befired from the barrel. This portion is indicated generally by thereference character 50 (Fig. 6), and is cutaway a sufficient distanceas, shown most clearly in Fig. 6, to enable the plunger in reciprocatingthroughout the length of the barrel to escape contact with the retainingspring 60 which is secured preferably to the exterior of the barrel onthe under side thereof, and has irregular projections formed in the bodythereof near the free end, as indicated at 60 and 60 to project througha suitable slotted opening 18 in the bottom of the barrel beneath theloading opening 18 This spring is relatively narrow, as will beseen'from sectional view, Fig. 5, and-will therefore permit thechanneled plunger 56 to pass over it without contact with it, but theprojecting portions 6O and 60 thereon will be effective to hold theprojectiles 40 as they are passed through the feed opening 18 into thebarrel until the plunger actuated by the power spring 19 forciblyengages the projectiles and discharges them from "the barrel.

By the construction just described, it will be seen that the operatorhaving placed projectiles to be fired within the magazine constructedaccording to the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3 1I1ClI1S1V8and having tiltedthe pistol so that a pro ectile will be fed into thebarrel, it wlll only be necessary for him to press forcibly upon the ofthe tr1gger 20, which until it is released in the manner described, withthe result that its power will be exerted upon the plunger 50, whichwill cause the forward extremity of thelatter to contact forcibly withthe projectile held 1n firing position by the spring 60, whereupon theprojectile will be forcibly discharged from the muzzle of the pistol,and 1t Wlll be seen that this operation of firing the pistol may berepeated as often as the operator will feed the projectiles into thebarrel, and will In Figs. 10 and 11 a modification ofthe invention isshown in which the magazine for the projectiles to be fired is providedwith a spring feed to insure that projectiles within the magazine willbe fed toward the muzzle end thereof and into firing position in thebarrel through the loading slot'18 This device consists of a followerhaving aprojection 70* extending through a suitable slot designated bythe reference character 80 (Figs. 10 and 11), extending along the top ofthe barrel casing. 71 is a coil spring. interposed in the magazinebetween the rear-wall thereof and the follower, there being areducedtrunnion 7O on the follower 70 to which said spring is secured. Theoperation of the piston with this magazine modification differs inno-wise from that already described, except in loading it will beobserved that the operator will grasp the projecting portion 70 of thefollower and bring it rearwardly beyond the feed opening 21 for theprojectiles, which will place the magazine in condition to be filled,

after which the release of the follower will cause it and-the spring toclose the opening, dispensing with the closure member 42 shown in Figs.1 to 3 inclusive.

It will be apparent from the above description of the construction of myimproved spring gun or pistol, that the same may be manufactured ofsheet metal construction almost entirely by employing the ordinarypunching and stamping operations used in working sheet metal, and forthis reason the device may be manufactured very economically forcommercial purposes, in addition to being very efiicicnt in operationfor the purposes described.

While I have shown and specifically described the form of the inventionpreferred by me, it is not desired to be limited to the exact details,as persons skilled in this art may vary the details without departingfrom the purpose and spirit of the invention.

1 claim:

1. A spring gun comprising a barrel, means for driving projectiles fromthe barrel; a trigger for tripping said means; a tube adjacent thebarrel and having a longitudinal slot therein; a coil spring in saidtube; and a projection on the trigger, extending into saidtube andsecured to the spring fortending through the slot in the tube andsecured to the spring, said spring being adaptthe spring providing amounting for the trigger; and a stop adapted to be engaged by thetrigger for moving the latter laterally to trip the projectile drivingmeans.

3. In amagazine spring gun, the combination with a casing formed of twooooperating flanged pieces riveted together, a barrel having its forwardextremity protruding through the muzzle end of the easing and beingsupported thereby, means for supporting the breech end of the barrelwithin the casing, said barrel being provided with a feed openingadjacent the muzzle end thereof, a magazine within said oasingcommunicating with the said feed opening in the barrel, a plunger withinthe barrel adapted to traverse the barrel from the feed opening to themuzzle thereof, and a motor spring for actuating the plunger.

4. In a magazine spring gun, the combination with a casing formed of twoflanged cooperating plates riveted together, a barrel having its muzzleend protruding through the muzzle of the casing and supported thereby,means for supporting the breech end. of the barrel on the interior ofthe easing, there being a longitudinal slot in the walls of the barreladjacent the breech end thereof, a feed opening in the wall of thebarrel adjacent the muzzle thereof, a plunger in the barrel adapted toextend from the feed'opening to the said longitudinal slot, and a motorspring extending into thesaid slot of the barrel and adapted tocooperate with the plunger.

5. A spring gun comprising a casing having a slot therein; a barrel inthe casing; spring projectile driving means in the casing; a tube in thecasing havin a longitudinal slot therein registering with the slot insaid casing; a coil spring slidably mounted in the tube; a triggermember for tripping the projectile driving means and having a portiondisposed in the slot of the casing; and a projection on said triggerexed to support and said slots being adapted to guide the triggermember. 1

6. In a magazine spring gun, the combination with a barrel beingprovided with a feed opening adjacent the muzzle thereof, a magazine forsupplying projectiles to said feed opening, an elastic device protrudinginto the barrel adjacent the said feed open ing for temporarily holdingprojectiles fed into the barrel through the feed opening, a plungerprovided with a groove to pass on each side of the said elasticprojectile retaining member, and elastic means for operating theplunger.

7. The combination with a barrel of an air-gun or pistol being providedwith a longitudinal slot, and a feed opening for projectiles adjacentthe muzzle thereof, of an elastic device projecting into the barrel forretaining a projectile adjacent the feed opening, a slotted plungeradapted to move from a point in advance of the feed opening in thebarrel to a point adjacent the muzzle thereof andbeing grooved to passfreely on each side of the said elastic retaining means for theprojectile, a motor spring operatively connected with the plunger, andmeans for controlling the operation of the motor spring.

8. In a magazine spring gun, the combination with a casing formed ofsheet metal and being provided with a barrel portion and a grip portion,a motor spring secured to the casing, a trigger adapted to operate saidmotor spring comprising a longitudinal movable body portion having aportion thereof projecting through the wall of the easing into normalcontact with the spring member, and being provided with a hookshapedprojection adapted to extend through a longitudinal opening in the underside of the barrel portion of the casing, and elastic means on theinterior of the barrel portion'of the casing for cooperating with thesaid projection of the trigger and controlling the return movementthereof.

9. The combination in a spring gun or pistol of a metallic casingcomprising a barrel portion and a grip portion integrally joined, andbeing provided on the under side of the barrel portion and the adjacentgrip portion with a longitudinal slot adapted to accommodate a triggerdevice,'a trigger device in said slot and casing, elastic means securedto the interior of the barrel portion of the casing for controlling thereturn movement of the trigger device, and a motor spring on theinterior of the grip portion of the casing operatively connected withthe trigger device.

10. In a magazine spring gun, a casing formed of sheet metal consistingof a pair of flanged sheet metal plates riveted together to form anintegral barrel and grip casing, a barrel protruding through theperipheral flanged portions of the casing and rigidly secured therein,and being rigidly secured at its opposite extremity to the interior ofthe casing, there being a magazine opening for feeding projectilesthrough the upper flanged wall of the casing, a member adapted to formin conjunction with the ing a longitudinal strip of sheet metal formedwith angular legs orprojections' at its extremities adapted to rest uponthe barrel, and a passageway formed integral with walls of the casing amagazine, and comprissaid member for feeding projectiles from themagazine to the barrel and being adapted to cooperate with a feedopening in said barrel.

11. The combination in a magazine spring gun of a slotted barrel, amotor spring having a free end thereof projecting into the slottedportion of the barrel, a trigger device having a portion thereof adaptedto bear against said motor spring to operate the same, and elastic meansfor returning said trigger device to normal position after operatingsaid motor spring.

12. In a magazine spring gun, the combination with a metallic casing, ofa helical motor spring comprising a relatively small helix or coil,'anda second and larger helix or coil, the material of the last said helixor coil comprising the smaller said helix or coil, the material ofthesaid spring beyond the coil being extended to form two free arms, andthe longer of said arms being pro vided with a sinus or off-set portionadapted for engagement with a trigger mechanism, means for securing thesmall helix or coil of the spring to the casing with the shorter of thesaid arms in engagment with the cas- 1n sai d casing and having thatportion of the free end of the spring beyond the sinus or off-setportion therein in operative relation with the interior of the barrelthrough the said slotted portion therein.

13. In a magazine spring gun, the combination of a casing comprising aplurality of plates secured together forming a barrel portion and a gripportion, a tubular barrel rigidly secured on the interior of the barrelportion of said casing, and inclosed thereby with only the muzzlethereof protruding through the muzzle of the casing wall, a motor springwithin the casing and a longitudinally movable trigger device adapted tocooperate with the motor spring and being provided with an upwardlyextending arm or projection, there being a longitudinal slot in the wallof the grip and barrel portions of said casing through which said armand said trigger device is adapted to extend into the interior of saidcasing, a carrying spring on the interior of the barrel portion of thecasing to which said arm on the trigger device is secured, and ahousingsupported within the barrel portion of the casing adj acent the saidslottherein for containing the said carrying spring.

14. Ina spring gun, the combinationwith a barrel of a casing thereforhaving a grip portion and a portionsurrounding said barrel, a springmotor within the grip portion of the casing and cooperating with thebarrel, a longitudinally movable trigger device adapted to cooperatewith said spring motor for operatingthe same, and means for supportingand positioning said trigger device comprising a coil spring securedwithin the casing beneath the barrel therein.

15. In a spring gun, the combination with and a slotted barrel supportedby the a casing consisting of a grip portion and a barrel portion, abarrel secured to said cas ing and on the interior thereof, with the inthe grip portion of the casing, a longitu-' dinally movable triggerdevice adapted to cooperate with said motor spring, and a carryingdevice for said trigger device comprising a coil spring secured in ametallic housmg in said casing beneath the barrel therein.

16. As an article of manufacture, a plunger for a spring gun comprisinga channeled portion formed of sheet metal, the bottom of the channeledportion being perforated adjacent one end for engagement with a motorspring, and the sides of the channeled portion extended at each endthereof to form guides for the plunger,-there being a portion of thematerial of the channeled bottom extending beyond one end of theextended channeled portions, bent at right angles, and over and upon theends of said channeled portions to form a driving end for contact withprojectiles,

17. In a spring gun, the combination of a barrel, a motor springcooperating with the barrel, and a plunger in said barrel adapted to beoperated by said motor spring and comprising a strip of sheet metal ofchannel form and having the channel portlons thereof adjacent theextremities extended to form bearing portions for the plunger wider thanthe intermediate portions of the flanges whereby the plunger may beguided in relation to the interior of the barrel.

18. In a spring gun, the combination'with a barrel, a motor springco'ciperatmg with the barrel, a projectile holder extending into thebarrel, and a plunge-r in the barrel adapted to be actuated by the motorspring and comprising a strip of sheet metal in channel form, thechannel form of the plunger permitting'the latter to pass by the pr0ectile holder.

19. In a spring gun, the combination with a barrel, of a motor springcooperating with the barrel for driving a plunger therein, and

a plunger in said barrel comprising a strip of sheet metal curved orbent into channel form, the legs or sides of said'channel adjacent theends thereof being lengthened to form bearing portions for cotiperatingwith the interior of the gun barrel, and the bottom of the channel atone end having an integral tongue of metal convexly curved on itsforwardextremity and bent at right angles to the channel to form a peer;for striking a projectile within the gun barrel.

20. In a magazine spring gun, the combination with a barrel of a casingfor supporting said barrel, a motor spring for firing projectiles fromsaid barrel, there being a feed opening extending through the Walls ofsaid barrel adjacent the muzzle of the barrel, and a magazine withinthe'casing being provided with means for delivering projectiles to thebarrel through said feed opening, the body of said magazine beingelongated and extending from adjacent the breech end of the barrelWithin the casing to the feed opening.

HERBERT B. SPERRY.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. SEEM, A. L. SPRINKLE.

